The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Photo is of parent taxon

Matthews woolly locoweed, woolly locoweed

Photo is of parent taxon

Cory's woolly locoweed, woolly locoweed

Habit Plants acaulescent or subacaulescent. Plants usually shortly caulescent, sometimes subacaulescent.
Stems

to 1.5 cm, obscured by imbricate stipules.

2–25 cm, hairs spirally twisted, to 1.6–2.8 mm.

Leaves

(3–)5–12 cm;

stipules (3–)4–8 mm;

leaflets 11–23, blades obovate, 3–12 mm.

(4–)6–20 cm;

stipules (5–)7–15 mm;

leaflets (11–)17–25(–29), blades usually obovate or oblong-oval, sometimes rhombic-obovate, 5–18 mm.

Racemes

(5–)7–12-flowered;

axis (0.5–)1–4.5 cm in fruit, not or scarcely surpassing foliage.

densely 15–45-flowered;

axis 3.5–9 cm in fruit.

Peduncles

scapiform, (1.5–)2.5–8 cm.

8–21 cm.

Flowers

calyx 10–13 mm, tube 7–8.6 × 3.4–4.7 mm, lobes 2.4–5.2 mm;

corolla pale purple;

banner 18.5–22.5 mm;

keel 14.2–18 mm.

calyx 10.5–14 mm, tube 7–8.7 × 3–4 mm, lobes (3.3–)3.7–5.5 mm;

corolla cream;

banner (14.4–)15–20.3 mm;

keel 12–17.4 mm.

Legumes

gently or abruptly incurved distally, broadly ovoid, turgid, 12–18 × 7–13 mm, widest near obtuse or truncate base, densely villous-tomentose;

beak bilocular.

narrowly ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid, 10–17 × 4.5–7 mm, glabrous or sparsely hispidulous (distally);

beak unilocular.

Seeds

24–31.

Astragalus mollissimus var. matthewsii

Astragalus mollissimus var. coryi

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Open slopes and hilltops, in ponderosa pine forests, along canyons to juniper-pinyon belt, on light, sandy or gravelly, sedimentary, granitic, or volcanic soils. Calcareous clay flats and depressions on rolling plains.
Elevation 1900–2600 m. (6200–8500 ft.) 500–1000 m. (1600–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Variety matthewsii is scattered and uncommon in Apache County in eastern Arizona and from Santa Fe to McKinley counties in the mountains of north-central and northwestern New Mexico.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Variety coryi is locally abundant on the northwestern Edwards Plateau in Crockett, Howard, Irion, Martin, Reagan, Schleicher, Sterling, and Upton counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Mollissimi > Astragalus mollissimus Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Mollissimi > Astragalus mollissimus
Sibling taxa
A. mollissimus var. bigelovii, A. mollissimus var. coryi, A. mollissimus var. earlei, A. mollissimus var. marcidus, A. mollissimus var. mogollonicus, A. mollissimus var. mollissimus, A. mollissimus var. thompsoniae
A. mollissimus var. bigelovii, A. mollissimus var. earlei, A. mollissimus var. marcidus, A. mollissimus var. matthewsii, A. mollissimus var. mogollonicus, A. mollissimus var. mollissimus, A. mollissimus var. thompsoniae
Synonyms A. matthewsii, A. bigelovii var. matthewsii A. argillophilus
Name authority (S. Watson) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 13: 746. (1964) Tidestrom: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 50: 21. (1937)
Web links